Several patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,267,706 (Kuroda et al.), 6,307,277 (Tamai et al.), 6,482,127 (Katou), 6,504,259 (Kuroda et al.), 6,532,926 (Kuroda et al.), 6,702,718 (Tani et al.), 6,817,329 (Buglione et al.) and publications Nos. 2002/0086772 (Abe et al.), and 2006/0142121 (Moriya) suggest stopping an idle of a motor vehicle to conserve fuel when engine power is not needed to move the vehicle. Idle stop systems are often used in vehicles known as hybrids, and it is generally established that stopping an unnecessary idle of an internal combustion engine can save fuel, especially for a vehicle that is driven in an urban environment where stops are made necessary by traffic signals and traffic jambs. Delivery vehicles can also advantageously use an idle stop during brief stops made for delivery purposes.
This invention aims at a simpler and more affordable way of implementing an idle stop in a motor vehicle. By making an idle stop system sufficiently low cost and easy to operate, the invention allows an idle stop to be applied to many types of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, whether in a form known as hybrid or not.